What Type Of Training Do You Love The Most

[leopuppy04]

yep - you guessed it - i'm procrastinating from starting work :D

naughty, naughty me!

Just curious - for those that do multiple sports - is there one that you enjoy the most?

Is there one that you get more of a kick out of than any others?

Is there a particular reason you compete in a particular sport?

Do you think that for you, there has been one sport that has built up your teamwork together, more than any other?

ETA: for me?

There isnt one that I enjoy MORE than the other, but I certianly do enjoy each for different reasons. I find that usually the one I enjoy the most is when the dog is enjoying whichever sport the most. And of course when we are succeeding (who doesn't) as you finally feel all of your little bits and pieces are coming together.

there isn't any reason why I compete in a particular sport.

Obedience - I love the teamwork and trust that it builds up in your dog and yourself. It's a different kind of teamwork than one that you build up in agility. I find obedience harder than agility in some aspects, and when I succeed and everything falls into place for obedience, I get a surge that I don't get in agility.

Agility - I love again, the teamwork and trust that you build up. I honestly find that obedience and agility compliment each other. There are little bits and pieces from each that makes Leo a better agility dog IMO coz of obedience and a better obed. dog, because of agility (not saying you have to compete in both to be a superdog!). I get a huge adrenaline surge from completing a lovely agility course, but not the same feeling of self satisfaction.... don't ask me why!

Tricks - I just teach 'em coz I love it and I love the end product. I find free shaping is a great way for me to learn about how a dog learns as well as the little types of things that your dog may be more inclined to offer. I love the enthusiasm that bursts out of them when learning tricks/ new things. I love the challenge of tackling complex tricks too.

Edited April 16, 2007 by leopuppy04

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Have done all three which you mentioned but am getting the best satisfaction from herding, am soooo proud of Panda and his achievements in the short time we have been training.

[leopuppy04]

ooh yeah - I forgot to add herding as i've only just been dabbling in it!! LOL!

I love it so far, particularly because you are SO not in control! I find it fascinating, but can't say much about the relationship etc, as we've only done it a few times!

[Cosmolo]

Would have to say agility is my favourite- because we both love it as much as each other and it has built even more of a bond between me and cosmo. Already i can see it doing the same thing for Georgie as well. I love it because its not subjective judging as well- its one of the things i liked when i was show jumping horses too, you pull a rail its X number of faults, not someone deciding how and why you pulled the rail. I like obedience but am prouder of my dogs for the practical obedience they have rather than the trial type obedience and i find some of the finer points a little dry sometimes.

Scent detection i love too- and it taught me an awful lot about training generally. Can't wait to try some herding with Cosmo- i think we'd love it.

[dogdayz]

Tracking definitely the favourite, the dogs adore it too. Definitely of all the sports we've tried its taught me most about viewing my dogs individually having two breeds of very different natural aptitude levels, each with their good and bad points.

I believe it has also aided my weim heaps with his confidence, just being out doing something he adores and is so focussed too, has really helped dispell his fears around strangers and dogs.

I do herding with my collie which we enjoy also. Jumping we do for fun only not competively, and mainly as a break from routine training. Obedience we find hardest...it bores me and the dogs....largely my fault as i have pushed it aside for years only trialling each dog once a year, but we have vowed to give it more of a go this year.

[jesomil]

I am currently really into stock work and yard trials.

We chose dogs specifically bred for it and we are having heaps of fun. Its so amazing to watch what the dogs do with instinct alone. It also includes a weekend away in the country when we compete so an added bonus!!

But i do love obedience and it was by far my favourite when i had my last dog that i did everything with. I think i might be getting back into it soon as i am feeling very motivated :D

I love the teamwork and precision of obedience. To see a handler and dog working perfectly as one is amazing!

[wheres my rock]

i like any form of trianing that enhances my relationship with my dog whther it be agility obedience erding tricks i just love strating osmething and seeing where it ends up

[Tonymc]

Types of training I am into are Cattle and Sheep work,obedience,cattle dog trials.I have an interest in Protection training and Shutzhund work. tony

[whatevah]

I like flyball, especially weekends away. It is very relaxing, you just let the dog go and they do it (most of the time) The human flyball at Ballarat last weekend was so funny, I am still sore from being the start human. I like doing herding, because I love seeing the instinct come out, and I also like sheep, and walking around in the dirt etc. Tricks are fun too. Gundog training was good as well, also like lure coursing, just let the dog go and have a laugh especially when the dog tries to get into the tunnel at the end and walks around with a tunnel on its back.

[Guest Clover]

Definitely Flyball here, we have quite a few beginners we are training at club at the moment and to see them advance week after week has been realy rewarding. I also like the 'friendly' competition in Flyball, yes we are competitive but we jokingly egg one another on when racing.. and people are friendly and happy to help with any problems.

My bond with Clover improved a lot when we started flyball... it was something we both enjoyed doing together. Herding with Elvis i think enhanced our team work aswell. I am currently doing basic obedience stuff with Harri and teaching him a few tricks to get him ready for an acting work shop at the end of the year .

[Tibbiemax71]

Obedience is my favorite, I love the precision of it. I have horses and loved dressage when I was younger (only have time for the occasional trail ride now) so obedience is the next best thing. I have competed in flyball and agility and enjoyed those sports also, I have been to a tracking workshop and would love to get into that in the future when my kids are older and I have more time

[Sayreovi]

Another flyballer here, it is competitive but a laid back one if that makes sense?

I like the team structure of it all, dogs love doing it, its a great day out with friends and your dogs its great

[indi_dog]

Herding!!!! It's fun and dirty and noisy!!! Plus I like chasing Indi around with a rake :p

[m-j]

I have only started but search and rescue is my thing. The dog I am using at the moment is only my practise dog but the little bits we are doing are fun. The thing I have always enjoyed doing most with my dogs is walking them off-lead and watching them doing what dogs do, this is one of the things that attracted me to this disipline and that maybe one day my dog could help save a life. It is very different to anything else I've done and there is alot more to it than I initially thought and sometimes it can be difficult to do the training due to avalibility of equipment like say helecopters, or people to be a victim but I love it

In the past I have played around with obedience trials, tracking, agility and flyball. I also enjoy being an instructor (most times) it is very rewarding to see a problem child get it together and you know you have helped the human / dog bonding process strengthen.

cheers

M-J

[Kelpie-i]

HERDING

[Lablover]

When I rode horses, years ago mind you, hacking did not do IT for me, so I went to 3 day events.

Nowdays, after competing and enjoying obedience trials, retriever training and trialling, is my (and luckily my dogs) love. In my chosen "game", quite apart from my husband being a hunter - which in reality is very easy, working with a dog with the right instinct, right drive, right nerves, right training, and right luck is so much fun.

[Working_Setters]

For me nothing beats training for field trials, in the paddock with the dogs on wild quail. For me it's the "real world", with other trials being a good deal more artificial. I love the nature and the natural world, which is one of the reasons I get such a buzz out of this type of training, I get to appreciate the natural world not only through my own senses, but also through the dogs - which are much more finely attuned than our own. There is also the unpredictability, I never know what I'll come across during a training session and I'm regularly treated to some very special treats of nature. It's the pinnacle of pointers/setter work and now that the cool weather is arriving I'll be in the paddocks a lot more and on the computer a lot less.

[Lablover]

For me it's the "real world", with other trials being a good deal more artificial.

Working Setters,

I am interested. Would the above apply, to the old style- when game was a plenty - field trials?

[Working_Setters]

For me it's the "real world", with other trials being a good deal more artificial.

Working Setters,

I am interested. Would the above apply, to the old style- when game was a plenty - field trials?

Hi LL,

Sorry I'm not sure I fully understand what you're asking me. I was suggesting that other forms of dog trials (with the possible exception of herding - about which I know very little) are more artificial than FTs. They are, IMO, further removed from the dogs' original work, and/or modified for the trial format. RTs for example are a great trialing format, a real test for dog and handler, a lot of fun to prepare for and (I imagine) very satisfying to win. However they are still quite artificial, deviating considerably from a "typical day in the field".

FTs (in Oz) are run on wild birds. Some seasons (generally when we have good rain) the birds are very abundant and other seasons (generally when we are in drought) trials are cancelled for lack of birds. As I said in the good years (as we had 2 years ago, thanks to late spring rains) there are abundant birds, too many in fact, with the dogs finding them every minute or two, making it impossible to judge running and stamina. Also coveys of 200 birds running in the grass can make scenting very confusing, and lead to some ugly dog work. So I'm not sure about the "old style" part of your question, in an average year there are a good number of quail in Oz to trial on, in a "good year" there are frequently too many birds, and in the lean years (like this year is shaping up to be) there are too few.

As far as I can tell from the literature, FTs in Oz today are much the same as the earliest FTs in the UK. A group of enthusiasts take their dogs (and shotgun) to a paddock/moor containing wild birds, and a judge decides which dog is the best on the day. The rules under which the competition is held are pretty simple and much as they were in trials of yesteryear.

Sorry if this rambling has completely missed the point of your question - if you'll rephrase for my simple mind to grasp, I'll be happy to have another crack at it.

[Lablover]

Sorry for my confusing question. I did indeed mean the different formats to old field trials to the proposed newer versions.

I have only attended ONE field trial and my husband is the hunter in the family, so my knowledge of the mechanics of field trialling is limited.